Shoe-sole lining



Sept. 23, 1924; 1,509,756

. M. s. HESS SHOE SOLE LINING Filed Nov. 1. 1921 VIII/Ii)iiiiiiiiii?7))7777/7i277ii27 III grwcnkw lzz izas-s;

Patented Sept. 23, 1924.,

UNITED STATES MEYER S. HESS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SHOE-SOLE LINING.

Application filed November To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that MEYER 3. Ease, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Baltimore and State of Maryland, has in vented new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Sole Linings, of which the following is a specification.

The conventional method of applying a lining to the ultimately under surface of an inner sole within the space bounded by the upturned rib or feather formed by channeling the sole consists in applying a sheet of canvas or other preferred material to the surface of the sole and cementing it in place, and then trimming or cutting away the surplus fabric or material forming the lining flush with the edge of the upturned rib or feather in contact with the inner surface of which the marginal portion of the lining is arranged, and obviously in pursuing this method there is an opportunity for an unnecessary waste of the material employed to form the lining, and in addition thereto there is a tendency through carelessness or lack of skill not to secure a properly smooth and even application of the lining material to the surface of the sole with a consequent detraction from the value of the product particularly in the fact that the lining unless correctly applied fails to perform in the most eflicient manner the reinforcement of the rib in strengthening the attachment of the shoe upper to the sole,

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide for an application of the lining to a shoe sole under such conditions as to avoid an unnecessary waste of the material of which the lining is composed and present this lining to the shoe maker in such a condition as to minimize the possibility of incorrectly or inefliciently applying the same to the sole, and furthermore in such a condition as to simplify the work of the shoe maker and effect a saving of time in applying the lining in such a way as to insure the performance of its functions to the best advantage.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a shoe sole lining, ready for application by the workmen whoseduty it is to position the lining, which can be fitted and adjusted to the shoe sole with accuracy regardless of minor modifications or variations in the shape and sizes Q lasts Didi-f1 1, 1921. Serial No. 512,055.

ferent shoes and in that connection to provide a lining as an article of manufacture which is suitable for use in connection with a plurality of different sizes or lasts of shoes, to the end that the minimum number of sizes of the lining must be carried in stock in or der to provide for the building of shoes of the different sizes required by the trade.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe sole lining which may be applied to the sole under conditions enabling the workmen to vary the reinforcing effect or tensional resistance which will be offered thereby to the strain of the stitching by which the upper is secured to the sole, to the end that the said resistance or reinforcing effect may be modified to suit the character or ultimate purpose of the shoe which is being constructed.

With these and other related objects in view the invention consists in a construction and relation of parts of which a typical embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a plan View showing the under surface of a shoe sole provided with a lining constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of a shoe vamp embodying the lining.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the blank constituting the lining prior to its application to the shoe sole and indicating in dotted lines the range of adjustment transversely of the blank in its application to the sole.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of a shoe vamp in the position indicated in Figure 2, with the lining arranged in spanning relation with the angle between the inner surface of the rib and the plane of the shoe sole, the upper attaching stitches being indicated in position at one side and being omitted at the opposite side,

Figure 5 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of lining blank including a toe reinforcement.

The lining 10 is designed for application to a shoe sole 11 constructed in the ordinary way and channeled as at 12 and 13 to form the rib 14 which during the application of the lining occupies an upstanding position indicated in Figures 1 and 2, the lining being arranged in a flat smooth condition on the surface of the s le bounded by the rib and having its marginal portions upturned and secured to the inner surface of the rib.

Ordinarily the lining which has the general appearance of that indicated in Figures 1 and 2 is applied as heretofore indicated in a sheet of any suitable or convenient size and having been pressed into position on the surface of the sole and turned up at the inner surface of the rib is cut or trimmed by means of a suitable tool flush with the upper edge of the rib with a consequent waste of the material thus removed, and to avoid this operation of trimming and also the incident waste it is proposed to provide the stock blank of which a blank is indicated in Figure 4 which is split longitudinally to provide side members 1O 1 0 which are separated longitudinally throughout the greater portion of their lengths and are thereby adapted for relative lateral or transverse adjustment or movement to effect the transverse expansion or contraction of the lining, to the end that in applying the lining to a shoe sole the marginal edges thereof may be arranged flush with the upper edge of the rib, and the inner edges of the members of the lin ing may be overlapped to a greater or less extent, according to the width of the sole or portion of the sole to be covered and which is bounded by said rib, said overlapped edges being secured together by cement or any equivalent thereof to thereby effect a connection adapted to'resist transverse strain applied thereto by the stitches 15 which extend through the marginal edges of the lining and through the rib to secure the upper 16 in the outer rabbet 17 of the main or outer sole.

Not only is this adjustment adapted to compensate for any slight variations in the width of shoes of the same size or last, but owing to the fact that the toe portions of shoes of different sizes or lasts, within a range of four or five sizes, more or less,

are substantially identical, a single size of lining is adaptable by reason of this transverse adjustment or possibility of expansion and contraction in application, to a plurality of different sizes or lasts of shoes. For instance it is submitted that under the ordinary circumstances between the sizes from No. 1 to No. 10, as to shoes, but four sizes of linings will be required, and therefore that but four sizes of linings must be kept in stock in order to supply the demand for shoes ranging in size from one to ten.

As in the ordinary practice it is proposed in additionto the cementing or otherwise permanently securing together of the overlapped inner edges of the lining members, to cement or similarly secure the lining to the surface of the sole and to the inner surface of the rib, as in the ordinary pr etice.

It is also found desirable at the toe portion of the split separating the major portions of the side members of the lining to provide an enlargement of the slit to form an opening as shown at 16 as a means of facilitat ing the bending laterally of the toe portion of the lining to conform to the positions of the side members thereof without tending to produce a loop or bulge at the angle and insure a smooth flat bearing of the lining upon the surface of the shoe sole.

A further advantage of the construction of the lining by which provision is made for transverse expansion and contraction thereof resides in the fact that any desired transverse tension may be applied thereto as a means of resisting the strain in the opposite direction applied to the lining by the stitches which pass through the mar ginal portions of the lining and serve to secure the upper to the sole, and this transverse adjustment or variation in tension of the lining may be extended as indicated in Figure 4 to initially cause the lining to span or bridge the angle between the inner surface of the rib and the plane of the sole to form a web or cord 17 which when subjected to the strain of the upper attaclr ing stitches is placed under a tension which in turn tensions the lining and serves to add to the strength of the shoe on the line of connection of the upper to the sole and increases the resistance of the shoe to the breaking away of the upper from the sole. This construction obviously tends to materially relieve the rib of the sole from outward strain and hence reduces the tendency of the rib to yield to internal pressure due to the foot of the wearer.

By constructing the lining as an article of manufacture in stock sizes ready for application without fitting or subsequent trimming to the shoe solo, a substantial economy in the use of the material for the linings may be effected, for the reason that they may be cut by machinery through the agency of dies so positioned as to utilize to the best advantage the area of the material and furthermore such a method of forming the linings affords an opportunity for selectively arranging the length and width of the blank with relation to the lines of warp and weft of the fabric, to the end that uniformity in the durability of the ultimate product may be attained.

The toe portion of the lining being the weakest portion thereof may in special cases be provided with a reinforcement consisting of an attached canvas tip 18 as shown in Figure 5.

It will be understood that the extreme end of the toe portion of the lining is beyond the result of transverse contraction and expansion of the lining but does not modify the effect sought by the construction herein disclosed for the reason that that portion of the shoe which is occupied by this extreme end of the lining is not materially modified in various widths or sizes of shoes and does not require modification for the reason that it is beyond the zone of the foot bearing area of the shoe lining. It is sufficient to provide for the transverse expansibility and contrac-tibility of the lining in accordance with the disclosure herein made, within the foot supporting area of the lining at the limit of which it is proposed to arrange the enlargement or cut away portion which defines the front end of the slit or split formed longitudinally in the lining and extending to the extreme rear end thereof.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. A sole lining adaptable to a plurality of sizes of shoes and consisting of an unfolded blank which is transversely expansible throughout the length of that portion of the shoe sole constituting the foot bearing area.

2. A sole lining adaptable to a plurality of sizes of shoes and consisting of an unfolded blank which is transversely contractible to vary the available width thereof throughout the length of that portion of the shoe sole constituting its foot bearing area.

3. A sole lining adaptable to a plurality of sizes of shoes and consisting of an un folded blank which is transversely dimensionable throughout the length of that portion of the shoe constituting its foot bearing area to correspond with the width and shape of the shoe.

4. A sole lining adaptable to a plurality of sizes of shoes and consisting of a transversely dimensionable unfolded blank having relatively movable side members separated on a continuous longitudinal line extending from the heel end thereof to a point at the forward extremity defining the foot bearing area of the shoe sole.

5. A sole lining adaptable to a plurality of sizes of shoes, and consisting of a transversely dimensionable blank of a length affording a complete foot bearing area which is provided with relatively movable side members variable transversely in position throughout the length of the foot bearing area of the blank for selective arrangement at their inner edges in overlapping and spaced relations.

6. A sole lining adaptable to a plurality of sizes of shoes, consisting of a transversely dimensionable blank having side members separated on a longitudinal line extending from the heel end thereof to the point at the extreme forward end of the foot bearing area of the blank, with the inner edges of said side members secured together in overlapping relation.

In testimony whereof he affixes his signature.

MEYER S. HESS. 

